Survey: Low-wage workers missing out on training

WASHINGTON -- As they struggle to get ahead, many low-wage workers are not taking advantage of job training or educational programs that could help them make the leap to a better-paying job.

A survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that many workers earning $35,000 or less annually aren't using training programs offered by employers because they don't even know they exist. Others are skeptical about whether such programs are worth the trouble.

The survey revealed a wide disparity between employers and workers in how they view the importance of training programs.

While 83 percent of employers said job training is extremely or very important for upward mobility, only half of low-wage workers felt as strongly about additional training.